Video of man 'blow-torching' chicken in back alley sparks investigation by Middlesbrough Council

Councillors in Middlesbrough are "looking into" two videos circulating on social media, which appear to show takeaway workers blow-torching raw chicken in a back alley.

One clip, reportedly filmed in the town, has been watched more than 3.7 million times on Tiktok.

It appears to show a man holding a blow-torch and cooking chickens in what looks like a supermarket cage on wheels.

Another, with 242.9k views on Twitter, shows someone blow-torching raw chicken through the bottom of a shopping trolley in a back alley, surrounded by bins and rubbish.

In the first clip, a voice off camera asks: “Is that safe for eating, that?

“I’m not eating that."

Middlesbrough Council has been informed and it is understood environmental health experts are looking into the videos.

A spokesman for Middlesbrough Council said: “We are aware of the video circulating online and are looking into the matter.

"As a matter of course we expect all food processes to be carried out in a safe and hygienic manner.”

Those in the video have not been identified, nor has it been confirmed whether they work for a restaurant, so they have not been contacted for comment.

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